Massimiliano Giornetti has just presented his Salvatore Ferragamo spring/summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection at Milan Fashion Week, this time showing his idea that volume would be on the market for the seasons, topped off with a sprinkling of masculinity. Of course, the Ferragamo line contained a plethora of leather, and he made sure to present it in a way to let the fabric actually work for the warm months, instead of taking the approach many designers would by using their house aesthetics without regard to temperature practicality. For the most part, the muted color palette was refreshing, and reminiscent of the spring season, but then he added the pops of bold colors, and really took his audience by surprise. These pieces were the most striking of the collection, just by contrast to the more subtle color choices.

As expected, Giornetti’s designs allowed for the house’s renowned use of leather. The silhouettes themselves were unique and exciting for spring/summer, but resembled a DIY “How to look good in a trash bag’ tutorial (and of course the model did look great in her outfit). This cheapened the looks, but the design structure was definitely thought out and sound. Because of this detail, however, some of his looks missed the mark. Others, on the other hand, were extremely successful. His dress featuring thick, vertical lines of bold colors looked fun and youthful as it walked the runway, and really embodied a feeling of joy.

Where the designer really flourished was with his ruffle-bottomed midi and maxi dresses. His use of color and volume was superb, and perfectly summed up the spring/summer months. The recurring silhouette of a voluminous top flowing over a slimmer (yet still frilled and flowing) bottom was a great take on the idea of a classic spring (or even summer) dress. These were the pieces that seemed to celebrate life, and the birth that spring brings ” with trees blooming, and birds being hatched. If he had instead made this the basis of his collection, everything could have been turned around.

It is clear that his design elements are sharp and the execution was beautiful, but some of his ideas should have been edited. If there had been a different type of leather, or like material used, some of his pieces would have really shined on the runway, ways they just couldn’t because of the choice.

The Salvatore Ferragamo spring 2016 collection really did have a target woman in mind, and it can be seen through the show. The clothes are definitely easy to wear, and any woman on the go would be able to slip on any one of these outfits and run out the door. Even though there were some negative points to Massimiliano Giornetti’s new line-up, there is a definite point of view that pushed through. There are some great things that happened in this collection, and there is definitely a market for it for 2016.

Courtney is a student majoring in mass communication and professional writing. She works as a writer and editor, and has a wide variety of hobbies, such as fashion, reading/writing poetry, sewing, and playing video games.